INTRODUCTION
When doctrines, practice and values becomes exceedingly/increasingly liberal especially with regard to toning down what the scriptures teaches. Thus the authority of scripture is what is undermined for liberalism to make strides. The liberal attitudes towards artistic freedom, modern science, media, modern academies, worldviews, marriage, family and governance is greatly witnessed. Loosening of knots and relaxing the cords that tightly held the jar of faith. This theme runs deeper than we have conceived, it therefore becomes a necessary to examine at a deeper level. Unfortunately we have been warped into a culture that is increasingly changing and whose effects have found their way into our churches.
The church is being influenced by the world more than the world is by the church, it is a salt that lost its taste and therefore is of no savor to the dying world. A light lit but the light is not committed to dispel darkness, She says ‘I want to be like darkness so as I can dispel him’ I have to be relevant, as a light I can’t just confront, it’s not cool’. We’ve therefore cut our cloths to meet the demands of a godless culture and that is the reason we wake up to the reality that we are swallowed up by the world. She is struggling to breath in an intoxicated world, standards are not being set by the world; the world is determining the rules of the game and to set the criteria for truth. Worldly philosophies and worldview have swept hard the church until there is no different we act just like the world, think, dress, sing and harbour desires just like the world. We even have gone to heights of accommodation that has allowed disciplines in liberal theology, so sad!
The solution to this menace is to go back to the sufficiency of scriptures, the authority of scripture and the need to nurture biblical worldview among those who profess the faith. When the bible reigns paramount it will dispel all middle ground and clarifying the cultural confusion with bold exegetical responses. Post-Modernism espouses tolerance as the greatest virtue is tolerance and religious freedom, inclusivity and liberal outlook that is distancing from anything absolute. Whenever there is no objective truth we swing to subjectism, experiences becomes the parameters of truth.
THE LETTER
Supremacy Clause
We declare that no provision herein shall or will be construed as to qualify, defeat or in any manner contravene the Holy Scriptures. Any such provision shall to the extent of the contravention have no effect. Without prejudice to the foresaid! It is specifically provided as hereunder.
Doctrinal Basis
As a Christian union, your second fundamental truth. The divine inspiration and the trustworthiness of the Holy Scriptures as originally given, and it is the supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct. This is foundational in resolving any conflict that that is constantly arising, faithfulness to this discourse defines the health of the church
BIBLICAL RESPONSE
“For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles” 1 Corinthians 1:21-23
There seem to be acute resolve from Apostle Paul to buy nothing, to sooth no one and he is presenting a counter culture which is not seeking to accommodate anybody in the depravity. He remains faithful to the scriptures, the gospel of Christ has demands a very honest witness and he was determined to preach in prescribed way. The modern desire to sooth the prospective congregants is a slow fade. We preach Christ Crucified, crucifixion is a scandal that history is blended with. It is criminal, it is shameful and is not the in thing in the cultured society of the Athenians, and they meet to discuss new inventions and have no room for the foolishness of the scriptures. They seek wisdom!
For the Jews they seek signs and miracles, they are the see believe generation. Jesus gave them a strict response to this when they asked miracle from Him so that they would believe his testimony in Matthew 12:38-39 “Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.” Jesus answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. I admire the gentle courage of our Lord, He did not bent to the will of men, He certainly had the power to do that but he could not give in to their evil cravings and hardness of their hearts. The great battle that Christ had to daily sought was between his divinity and manhood, him being God and man. Being with ability to perform earth-shaking miracles, signs and wonders after all he was the king of the universe. Christ and his dealing with the devil, was not principally the question of inability but a question of what is written. You don’t go on to respond to your challengers just because they have raise an objection/challenge. Christ was in sync with the Word. Christ displays humility by turning down opportunity of conversions that would have resulted from such extraordinary miracles. He seem to follow a principle in the kingdom ‘We can only come to God according to his will and plan’ We don’t invent our own means and device our own way up to Him
But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks, what a determination! This is scandalous, it brings warring factions and disappoint expectations of the natural man. It provides only one way to his redemption, it disapproves his means and call him to this ‘Foolishness of the gospel’ it asks Him to leave the sophisticated attitudes, proud outlook and his security in the culture. This option is a no popular option, this invitation is a no cordial offer it robs a man all his ego and leaves him a laughing stock for it defeats good reason, this is the offence of the cross. This is the gospel that must be preached again and again, that the gospel is offensive to the Canal man.
IMPLICATIONS
Evangelism and outreach
There is a lot to learn from this model of outreach, we are not the one in the business of saving, preserving and growing those God is sending our way. We only have one task of telling the renown of his kingdom, preaching the gospel and reconciling men to God. It is ours to administer faithfully the commission in the way God has asked us. The notion of getting smarter in the work of ministry is a fallen and a foreign concept and it is just a proof that we can’t trust the power of God in salvation. Apostle Paul having tested the power of God in the conversion of the soul, Resolved in his ministry very pointed actions recorded in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 “When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.” That their faith may rest on God’s power and not human wisdom. Our methodology of doing God’s work purely rest on what he has said in His word, I am bound to obey the Holy Scripture if am to please God.
Artistic expressions and media
I am an artist, God has so greatly given me abilities to make arts, and art is meant to imitate life. This is the area that is most saturated with liberal attitudes, daily there is a worldview that is being advanced. In a general scale media has kept moving farther and farther from any kind of moral absolutes to greater liberalism. Media is become the standard we judge the truth with. Humanistic philosophies and agenda have been on air. We live in days of YouTube, Facebook and blogging where values that once held institutions are being frowned at. Mass consumption of junks that makes us crossroad of cultures, beliefs, attitudes and orientation. Films have been tools to normalize once terrible abominations and make us comfortable to watch them on the screen, they are scripted so nicely that they win our admirations, we become accustomed to this character that we are no longer scandalized by this new age agendas on Homosexuality, feminism, violence etc. We no longer get offended with this mutilations on our faith. Televangelism I once had an admiration to it but it has been crowded by half-truths and ‘you are okay’ messages. This is a destruction from within and it is worst attack because it is deconstructing from within. Heretics have gone out of their way to teach and author materials that have heightened liberal thoughts and applications of scripture
Songs
Songs are near to the heart, it is the language of the heart, of all artistic genres music is the most universal and most listened to form of art. In our country for instance as it regards to gospel music, there is a very blur line, celebrity mind-set and pagan practices that is borrowed from the unregenerate heart. Unscriptural song writing, deficient biblical practice. Most of the songs are sensual they only appeal to the flesh and starve the spirit. The worldview is materialistic, the videos of big house, flashy lifestyles, latest machines that distracts attention from God. Our so called gospel songs have become social therapy, that offers consolation away from God, it’s simply worldly. The last facet I have observed is with regard to our inspiration it is often sentimental and are not birthed from deep springs of our communion with God. This songs have shaped our theology in a big way, it is a fun inviting gospel that scorns any critical thing in scriptures as legalistic even if it was said by Our Lord Jesus Christ. The voice of scripture with time is being replaced by popular
REMEDY
Authority of the Scripture
The scriptures are an authority to all matters of faith and conduct. We must be convinced that the bible is authoritative in all matters of faith. What raises the Holy Scriptures to this precedence is the very fact that its author is God. The majesty of He who speaks this words, He is God, King eternal and God only wise, the creator. So that any departure from his precepts is an outright rebellion from me. That majesty through the person of Christ sealed the Holy Scripture with the words of Revelation 22:18-19 “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book” and reiterated that not even an iota should be removed from the Scripture. I have exalted my word above my name. It only God who has the ability to alter what He said. Make it a stricter requirement and hold with esteem the Holy Scriptures.
Sufficiency of Scripture
This thus imply that the bible is complete and relevant and has an answer to everything that will ever pop out. It is unchanging standard that is established. This means that we retreat to the bible to answer the objections beings raised both within and outside the church. Sound biblical exegesis should bring solutions to all matters. The recent assault to this has been the constant urge to look for solution outside the church, the media, the internet, history, anthropology, psychology and other related fields which undermines the sufficiency of scripture. Psalms 19. “The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.” Bible is truly sufficient, that must be resounded again, Teaching wholesome gospel. When addressing issue of concern address them with the Holy Scriptures as the Truth to be followed. Going of the bible for our solution can solve a momentary conflict but can never administer deep long-term solution and the flipside of going out of scripture for solution is that it will open a loophole that will injure the church in the long run
Biblical Worldview
There is a dire need of biblical thinking and outlook of life. Our worldview is but an intermingling of many worldviews, which we pick up as unconsciously as we do life. It is therefore so common to see a persons whose life is divided into compartments, and of these compartment some are under the Lordship of Christ but some are not submitted. For instance you find a Christian girl whose attitudes towards marriage and men is shaped by the culture than God’s word, or a young man whose perspectives of money is so corrupted by the attitudes of life. Such a Christian will find it hard submit to God. As a Christian union engage various topic of concerns through your various platforms, bible study, teachings and exposure that will nurture a Christian outlook. As we are admonished by Romans 12:1-2, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God– this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is– his good, pleasing and perfect will.” A counter culture attitude is being advanced to aspire to live life pleasing to God is to set yourself in an opposition against the secular worldviews and their propagators.
CONCLUSION
Permissiveness is a plaque that will continue to eat our flesh unless we are clear on the matter aforementioned. The only way is to uphold the inerrancy of scripture and to be clear on its authority, sufficiency and practicality.
“He who marries the spirit of the age will soon be a widower” Os Guiness
“To be always relevant, you have to say things which are eternal” Semeon Weil
Concluding Reflections
You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.” The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.” But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken– that is, created things– so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,
For our “God is a consuming fire.”